Autism Friendly Clothing

Marks and Sparks (M&S, Marks and Spencer) what ever it is that you like to call them, has recently launched a range of autism friendly school uniform, the idea being that they are easy for children to get on and off.

This went on sale on the 01/08/2016 and although most people will have sorted their school uniform for the year by now, if you were not aware and need to replace anything that your child is not coping with then it may well be worth taking a look and giving it a try.

10% of all sales are currently being donated to the NAS as if you needed another excuse to get your hands on it.

The range includes things like pull on trousers without buttons and zips that they may struggle with and shirts where the top buttons are replaced by a discreet velcro strip so that the top can be pulled over the head to be removed. Reduced seams and soft fabrics also help those with sensory issues where these things can irritate and cause discomfort.

There is a more detailed description and some images on the NAS website and can be found here

NEW SEN Report Launched #SEN #ASD #NAS

A new report has been published by the National Autistic Society looking at how well the SEN system within England is meeting the needs of children and young people who are on the Autistic Spectrum. This is based on a survey of that included parents, carers and young people and it really does highlight the struggles that families have to go through every day just to get the all important support that they need to be able to do something as basic as attending school, something that all children no matter what their needs have a right to do. The highlights of the report show that (taken from the NAS website) But our survey found that: 74% of parents have not found it easy to get the educational support their child needs 69% of parents said that their child had waited more than a year for support after concerns were first raised – and 16 per cent had waited more than three years While 50% of parents say they’re satisfied with their child’s SEND provision, just 33% are satis​fied with health care and 30% with social care 17% of parents say they appealed to the SEND Tribunal against their local authority’s decisions on their child’s education For more information and to download the full report click below. (takes you to the NAS website) It really is an interesting read so please take the time to read the report, if you don't have time to read it all please read the highlights, this needs to be highlighted.  Download the report >

Plans for the weekend

1. Stay Calm
2. Take the lad to his swimming lesson
3. Survive 
4. Take the lad to an ASD Softplay session
5. Avoid Headache
6. Do the food shopping
7. Stay Calm
8. Tidy the house
9. Stay Calm - put the boy in his room to watch DVD while tidying to prevent loosing temper
10. Sort out the washing
11. Try not to loose mind

All seems manageable right? I forgot sort out car insurance and take parcel to the post office... 

Husband is at work this weekend so just me and the kids which actually makes it easier to get stuff done he has a way of making me really angry when I am trying to get jobs done by stomping around the house trying to help because he feels guilty, I'd rather he took the lad out and got out the way to be honest.

Wish me look especially with item 5

New Routine seems to be going well

What a difference a few days make, been consistent and not giving in seems to be working, he has read his school book again tonight, he didn't want to read it but he did it without to much fuss, he was clearer than yesterday and a little louder to.

So fingers crossed that by the end of next week we have it set in his memory and he does it without whining and nice and clear and even a little louder so that we can all hear how good he is doing.

Another positive thing that has happened today is that he came home with a certificate from school for doing his holiday homework, I don't remember doing any holiday homework with him but he did do his reading for the first few weeks. I guess that is what he got it for. He also came home with a sticker from the teacher for good work, unfortunately there is no note in his home/school diary to say what it was that he did well and as he is non verbal he can't tell me

Everyday Breakthrough Campaign Launches #ASD #NAS #Everydaybreakthrough

I am a paid up member of NAS - National Autistic Society, and because of this I get a monthly email from them with important information and news regarding Autism.

The highlights from this months email are as follows:

Everyday Breakthrough campaign launches!

Our newly-launched #EverydayBreakthrough campaign will celebrate some of the amazing work of staff across our schools and services. It could be buying a paper, or baking a cake; getting up onstage or taking a step outside – an everyday breakthrough can seem like the smallest thing. But to someone with autism, it can mean the world. We have a range of roles, from support workers to office workers, and every one of them takes a lot of patience, and a lot of commitment. But what they give in return is worth so much more. So find the role for you, and help make everyday breakthroughs happen more often.

Find out more and browse our jobs >

This is great news because anything that highlights the positive work that is being done out there every day by some amazing people is well worth your support. If you see me using the hashtag #everydaybreakthrough then you will know why. 

Check out the link and see if there is anything there that interests you, and please consider joining up and giving your support to the NAS

Question of the Day? Why are there Cats all over Clapham Common Tube Station

You will have seen in the news, on the web and just everywhere really that Clapham Common Tube station have replaced all of their adverts with some pretty cool cat pictures

According to the BBC News Site

"A London Underground station has been taken over by cats - with all advertisements replaced with pictures of the animals.

Almost 700 people helped the Citizens Advertising Takeover Service (Cats) raise £23,000 to buy the advertising space at Clapham Common station.

The cats will appear on advertising boards for two weeks from 12 September.

The aim is to provide a "relaxing, fun and light-hearted" space free from commercial adverts, Cats said."

Which is pretty cool, for some pictures and a little more information check out the BBC website

Pastry Pizza - The meal of teens everywhere

Tonight I used up the leftover chicken to make pastry pizza, basically I was to lazy to make anything particularly healthy and the teen loves it, the younger one won't eat it but he won't eat anything (sigh).

So to make this super easy gourmet (who am I trying to kid?) delight you need

• A pack of ready roll puff pastry
• Leftover cooked chicken
• Red Pesto
• Tinned grilled peppers
• A ball of mozzarella

Leave the puff pastry on the side to get to room temperature and then unroll it, I find leaving it until you have forgotten about it and then making the pastry pizza in a panic as everything else is already cooked is just about the right amount of time, I guess its ten to fifteen minutes.

Spread the red pesto on the pastry to about the thickness of the tommy puree you get on pizza, then add the left over chicken, peppers and cheese, and any other toppings you feel like adding, this is great for using up all those leftover bits of sandwich meat that you may have knocking around in the fridge.

Stick it in the oven until it is cooked, its quite hard to judge when it is done especially when you are burning the chips you just did to go with as you forgot about the pastry and had to rush, but I am guessing about 10-15mins for it to be cooked properly in a med-hot oven.

When it is done it looks like this (but probably more cooked as I took this out a little early) chop it into pieces you get about 4 good sized pieced out of a sheet of pastry, its nice with salad but my daughter has it with a few chips.

Also good for kids parties as you can cut it into fingers and put it on a buffet.